crop damage

High numbers of White-tailed deer in the southern Lower Peninsula are causing concerns about deer-car collisions, rising auto insurance premiums, crop losses, Lyme Disease borne by deer ticks, lack of forest regeneration, and ecosystem imbalance, to name just of few of the many issues. Opinions on what to do about the abundance of deer are even more wide-ranging. In this installment of WEMU’s The Green Room, Barbara Lucas examines some of the complexities involved, and some of the solutions offered.

The "Brown Marmorated Stink Bug" is already in 36 states and in the District of Columbia. So far, it has made its way to 12-counties in the State of Michigan.

In 2010, in the Mid-Atlantic Region the bugs caused some 40-million dollars worth of crop and economic damage. And, be rest assured, you don't want these bugs to invade your home. It's name should tell you all you need to know about that! What can be done?

Listen to WEMU's David Fair explore the issues with Dr. Jamin Eisenbach. He is an Entomologist and Professor in Eastern Michigan University's Department of Biology.